- "I'll tell you right now, they come up here, I'm not playing patty cake with these fanboys. I'm choppin' 'em up. You understand me?"
"I'm not sure I want that kind of help, Frank."
"Well, that's the kind of help you've got." - ―Frank Castle and Matt Murdock[src]
The Battle at Matt Murdock's Apartment was a battle that pitted Daredevil and Punisher against the Anti-Vigilante Task Force.
Background[]
- "Imagine if our fearless lawyer from Hell's Kitchen... were to succumb to his wounds. Wounds he's sustained by trying to save the mayor. In this case, a dead hero is better than a live vigilante."
- ―Wilson Fisk to Buck Cashman[src]
Upon being elected as the Mayor of New York City, Wilson Fisk built his platform on denouncing vigilantes, claiming them to be the biggest menace for the city. One of the most prolific cases involving vigilantes was the case of Hector Ayala, who was accused of killing Kel Shanahan.[1] Although Matt Murdock successfully defended Ayala in court, he outed him as a vigilante White Tiger, and Fisk addressed the situation as a failure of the justice system.[2] Not too long after, White Tiger was killed by Cole North as a revenge for Shanahan.[3]
The Anti-Vigilante Task Force receives credit for stopping Muse
Driven by his desire to make art, Muse started terrorizing the city by kidnapping and murdering people, using their blood for his murals. Fisk gave orders to Phil Gallo and the New York City Police Department to stop Muse's killing spree and bring him to justice, however, he only continued killing more people. With the public anxiety growing, Fisk authorized the creation of the Anti-Vigilante Task Force, consisting of NYPD officers known for idolizing Punisher and using excessive force.[4] When Muse was taken down by Daredevil during an attempt on Heather Glenn, Fisk ordered to change the narrative and make it so the AVTF would get all the credit instead.[5]
Matt Murdock saves Wilson Fisk from Benjamin Poindexter
Fisk later authorized the transfer of Benjamin Poindexter to a general population at Rikers Island, knowing that a former FBI agent would not survive there for long. Poindexter sought a way out of the prison and even requested Murdock to represent him, and even though he refused, Poindexter still succeeded at his prison break. Making his way to the Black & White Ball, Poindexter made a second attempt to kill Fisk, however, Murdock intervened and took a bullet, saving Fisk's life.[6] A heavily injured Murdock was later taken to Metro-General Hospital, although all he could think about was the revelation that Vanessa Fisk ordered a hit on Foggy Nelson.
As Fisk survived Poindexter's attack, he claimed that it was another case of vigilante violence and demanded a city-wide crackdown not only on Poindexter, but all vigilantes in New York. Gallo strongly opposed Fisk's order by claiming that it went against the core institutions of the NYPD, while Sheila Rivera noted that they needed a serious threat to justify sealing off the city. Fisk spoke with Buck Cashman about Murdock and decided that he would be more useful as a martyr and could not let Daredevil thwart his plans, giving Cashman an order to take him out.
Matt Murdock evades Buck Cashman
Cashman arrived at the hospital with a lethal injection, but Murdock was able to sense him coming from afar. Cashman waited outside the room before the blackout engineered by Fisk engulfed the entire New York, so it would serve as a cover, but Murdock managed to slip away beforehand. Returning to his apartment, Murdock was joined by Frank Castle who was asked by Karen Page to ensure look after Murdock following Poindexter's escape. While they spoke, North and the AVTF officers pulled up to Murdock's apartment to take him out, so the two vigilantes prepared an ambush.[3]
Battle[]
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Daredevil ambushes the Anti-Vigilante Task Force
- "No, Frank. No, no, no. Please, don't. It's not what I want."
"You get in front of a bullet for this piece of shit too? Is that what you do now, hero?" - ―Daredevil and Punisher[src]
Closing in on the apartment, the Anti-Vigilante Task Force led by Cole North found the door to be open, so they quietly moved inside with their weapons ready. At that moment, Daredevil descended from above and ambushed the officers, using his Billy Club to redirect their shots and knock them out. Punisher also joined the fight and gunned down two officers with a shotgun, using one of them as a human shield. While Daredevil was fighting off the AVTF, he demanded Punisher to stop killing them, but Punisher ignored him and slammed the officer's head into the kitchen stand before shooting him.
Punisher shoots down an Anti-Vigilante Task Force officer
North managed to shoot Punisher in the shoulder but his vest protected him, so he responded by shooting North in the arm. Daredevil took out two more officers, but he failed to evade a few bullets, while Punisher took cover and shot North and another officer through a wall. Punisher then tackled an officer on the floor, stabbing him with a knife and shooting one more, as Daredevil continued to take out the others. North tried shooting Daredevil who managed to evade the bullets, and Punisher threw his knife at North's hand, pinning it to the wall and disarming him.
Daredevil confronts Cole North
With all AVTF offiers either unconscious or dead, Punisher noticed his skull insignia on one of North's bullet casings, informing Daredevil that he was Hector Ayala's killer. North attempted to call for backup, but Daredevil took away his radio and confronted him on killing Ayala, but North showed no remorse. He claimed that he stood with his fellow New York City Police Department officers and was not afraid to die, simply telling Daredevil to do what he wanted. Enraged, Daredevil hit North across the face with his Billy Club, knocking him out, before contemplating getting revenge for Ayala.
Punisher claimed that North must die, but Daredevil replied that he was not worth it and stood between them when Punisher was about to shoot North. Punisher taunted Daredevil on would he take a bullet for North like he did for Fisk, and provocatively killed another AVTF officers whom Daredevil spared. Daredevil lashed out on Punisher and the two had a heated argument right before Daredevil heard a grenade being thrown. The two leaped out of the apartment just in time and Daredevil used his Billy Club to swing both of them down safely, surviving the explosion at the building. As Daredevil and Punisher were about to walk away, Karen Page drove up to them and all three retreated to Knickerbocker Village.[3]
Aftermath[]
Karen Page patches Matt Murdock up
- "So, he went after Matt Murdock, not Daredevil. That's bold even for Fisk."
- ―Karen Page[src]
Taking shelter at Knickerbocker Village, Karen Page helped patching Matt Murdock's wounds, saying that when Benjamin Poindexter escaped, she called Frank Castle and rushed back to New York City. Murdock informed Page that Foggy Nelson's death was a hit ordered by Vanessa Fisk and it was somehow related to the Benny Cafaro case he was filing to dismiss at the time. Page recalled the old Nelson, Murdock & Page files being at the storage, so she went with Murdock to check on them, while Castle decided to stay back. Looking through the files, Murdock and Page discovered that Red Hook Pier was a freeport and exempt from any laws, so Vanessa wanted to stop Nelson from revealing the loophole.
Punisher attacks the Anti-Vigilante Task Force
Listening to Cole North's radio he took with him, Punisher heard the Anti-Vigilante Task Force aborting their mission on finding Daredevil and retreated to Red Hook Pier. Punisher arrived at the port to bring down the AVTF and massacred numerous officers, but was soon overwhelmed and neutralized. With the AVTF tying him to a chair, Punisher was faced by Connor Powell who expressed his admiration of Punisher and offered him to join their ranks. Punisher harshly rejected the offer, enraged by Powell's assumption that he understood Punisher in any way. In response, the AVTF roughed Punished up and locked him up at the port's dungeon with other prisoners Kingpin kept there.[3]